Colombia El Progreso*

*RELATIONSHIP LOT - Rodrigo Sanchez

We taste flavor notes of: Black Cherry, Raisin, Fudge

Personal Note:

In October, Ronnie and Frank had the opportunity to spend a few days with Rodrigo Sanchez, the producer of this coffee. He is a passionate farm owner who is always looking for innovative techniques and new varieties to explore.

This coffee was processed in a somewhat unorthodox way. This process has been referred to “double fermentation” because the coffee was left in fermentation tanks for more than 60 hours (typical fermentation occurs for between 24-36 hours).

*A quick note on Varietal: this coffee is from the country of Colombia, but it is also the Colombia variety. It was developed between 1968-1982 by Colombia’s National Centre for Coffee Investigation (Cenicafe). It is a hybridridized version of Caturra and the Timor hybrid that was created in order to provide farmers with an alternative to Caturra, which is highly susceptible to coffee rust. Colombia has since become quite popular because it is high-yielding and can be planted in high densities, due to the plants relatively small stature.

About Rodrigo Sanchez, the Producer

Finca El Progreso is owned and operated by Rodrigo Sanchez, a local legend in Huila. The farm has been in the Sanchez family for several generations, and they have been producing coffee there for more than 80 years.

Rodrigo is known in Huila for producing excellent coffees. He implores his team to follow strict protocols that focus on quality as well as quantity. Rodrigo and his team use a systematic approach for fertilization, pest control, varietal selection, harvesting, and processing.

Rodrigo credits his consistency and attention to detail for his success, however he is always experimenting with new varieties and processes in order to produce the best coffee possible.